Friday, July 24, 2009

McCaskill Forced to Clarify Gay Gun Gaffe

Under fire from a conservative gay group, Sen. Claire McCaskill has clarified the reason she voted against expanding a conceal and carry gun law this week.

McCaskill voted against the amendment, and explained her reasoning by saying, "this is a foot in the door that would require, for example, the laws in Vermont on gay marriage to be enforced in Missouri. It just kills me, these guys, that they would pound the tables about states’ rights until, situationally, they don’t want to talk about states’ rights anymore."

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, which endorsed the gun amendment, said the comment was pure political calculation, according toAdvocate.com.

"Claire McCaskill should be ashamed of herself for using baseless antigay scare tactics to justify her vote against the conceal carry amendment,” he said. McCaskill's Republican counterpart, Sen. Kit Bond, voted to pass the gun measure, which coincidentally would have been attached to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act that Senator McCaskill cosponsored.

McCaskill's office issued the following statement Thursday to clarify her remarks: "In talking about my recent vote against the gun provision offered in the Senate, I wasn’t clear when I stated that my vote against that provision was because it came down to a state's rights. I was expressing my frustration in that some who argue that states shouldn’t respect the laws, certificates, or permits from other states when it’s convenient, like with gay marriage, but then argue that they should when it’s convenient on another issue, like gun rights. They can’t have it both ways," McCaskill said.